Multipurpose sewing kit



April 4, 1967 A. R. WAGES 3,312,380

MULTPURPOSE SEWING KIT Filed Jan. 29, 1964 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,312,380 MULTIPURPOSE SEWING KIT Allie R. Wages, Rte. 3, Tupelo, Miss. 38801 Filed llan. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 341,065 2 Claims. (Cl. 223-107) This invention relates to a wall-supported but portable self-standing sewing kit, more particularly, a novel boxlike cabinet which is structurally designed and functionally adapted to systematically store such articles, accessories and implements as are ordinarily needed by the user.

One objective, generally speaking, is to improve upon prior art sewing kits, sewing baskets or boxes, and sewing screens. To the ends desired the kit or cabinet is such in construction that it can be removably hung in an available place on a room wall or elsewhere in a manner to save space and so that it will be out of reach of curious youngsters. However, and in carrying out this aspect of `the concept, the means employed (a clip and screw `for example) permits the cabinet to be readily detached from the wall screw and transported to the sewing room or wherever else its use is needed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and highly eihcient adaptation which saves valuable time and labor and well serves the overall purposes for which it is intended. For example, instead of housing the various articles of use in a haphazard manner, as is frequently the case, unique means is herein employed to present and display such articles so that choice and selection is advantageously achieved, much to the gratication of the user.

In carrying out the principles of the present invention 'a durable but light in weight plywood cabinet is provided.

This cabinet is distinct and different in that the interior is characterized by a plurality of systematically arranged compartments. Each compartment has facilities therein to accommodatingly enclose and confine the classified group or category of articles or accessories which are assigned thereto. In fact, these compartments are isolated one from the other and each compartment has its own door-closed entrance opening. It follows that only one compartment need be opened for use. Then, too, each door is designated for selective use. For example, the cabinet has at least four compartments and the door to each compartment is marked. One door is designated for scissors, a second door `for buttons, a third door for thimbles and snaps, and a fourth door for spools of thread. Individual doors leading to individual compartments enables the user to open the desired door, gain access to the article needed and, at the same time, keep the other doors closed and the articles behind them out of sight until needed.

More specifically, novelty is predicated on a structurally simple cabinet comprising a back wall, a front wall opposed to the back wall, and a trame interposed between and connecting marginal portions of said front and back walls, means on the interior of said cabinet dividing said interior into separate article containing and supporting compartments, said front wall having door-closed openings, one opening and a companion door for each compartment, each door being suitably marked to indicate the category of sewing articles which are available when a given door is selected and opened, whereby said compartments are isolated one from the other.

Considered from a more'explicit point of view the invention has to do with a portable kit which takes the form of a cabinet. This cabinet comprises a flat back wall panel, a flat front wall panel, and a frame interposed between and adjoining marginal portions of said front and back panels, said frame providing top, bottom and side walls, space-dividing and partitioning means xed in said Patented Apr. 4, 1967 icc cabinet and delining a plurality of isolated article Vconning and storing compartments, suitable means in each compartment for systematically holding the predetermined category of articles which are orientated for retention therein, and said front panel having a selectively usable door-closed opening for each cooperatively associated compartment, each Vdoor being provided on its exterior with a descriptive word or words indicating the classified articles which are available when a selected vdoor is opened, whereby all other compartments can be kept closed and confusion thus reduced to a minimum.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a view in perspective showing the improved multipurpose sewing kit or cabinet supported in a vertical position on a .wall or other relatively stationary support surface;

FIGURE 2 is a view on an enlarged scale with cornponent parts appearing in section and also in elevation taken approximately on the plane of the vertical section line 2-2 of FIG. l looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a View at right angles to FIG. 2 taken on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view detailing the exteriorly accessible pin and needle cushion.

With reference now to the drawing it will be seen that the numeral 6 (FIG. 1) designates a substantially rectangular hollow relatively thin box-like cabinet which is structurally designed and functionally adapted to be hung on' a wall or other stationary support surface 8. This cabinet comprises a flat panel providing a rear wall 1i) (FIG. 3) which is provided at its central upper portion with -an appropriate'olip 12 which can be hung on the wall 8 by way of a suitably angled and anchored nail or the like 14. The front Wall 16 is spaced from and parallel to the rear wall and a rectangular frame 18- is interposed between the two panels 10 and 16. The frame provides a horizontal top wa-ll Ztl, a horizontal bottom wall 22 and vertical side walls 24 and 26, respectively. It will be -noted that the cooperating marginal edges of the overall walls are mitered, as at 28 and suitably joined together. These walls and certain of the interior component parts m-ay be made from plywood or such other strong ybut light in weight material in keeping with the economical and other requirements of the manufacturer. This assembled and cooperating the walls provide a hollow cabinet. Whereas the wall lil` and walls of the frame 18 lare imperforate it will be noted that the front panel or wall is specially constructed. This is to say (FIG.` l) the front panel or wall is provided in the upper lef-thand corner with an opening 3l) normally closed by a door 32 hingedly mounted as at 34 (see FIG. 3). The vlower lefthand corner is provided with a similar but smaller open-ing 36 normally closed by a hingedly mounted companion door 33. The opening in the upper righth-and corner, denoted by the numeral 40 is closed by a third door 42. Finally, the opening 44 in the lower righthand corner isclosed by a door 45t. All of the doors are flush with the exterior surface of the panel 16- and are provided with appropriate knobs 4S. A relatively smal-l circular opening Sil is provided at the ymedian or central portion bctween the doors 32 and v41]2 and this serves to accommodate a pin and needle cushion 52 which projects through and beyond the opening and is carried by an appropriate base 54 secured in place as at 56 (see FIG. 4). Referring now to the interior the numeral 53 denotes a centrally arranged divider which is preferably affixed to the rear panel 10 and extends upwardly from the bottom wall 22. This divider or partition constitutes a primary rigiditying memiber and also separates the lower half-portion of the cabinet interior into separate or individual compartments. There is a second or auxiliary divider 60 fixed in ithe upper medial portion of the cabinet directly above and in line with the partition 58 and it too assists in transforming the interior space into four distinguishable compartments for articles and accessories. The space in the upper lefthand corner (FIG. 2) and delineated by the dotted line 32 (representing a door) provides a compartrnent for scissors and shears. lt will be noted in FIG. l Vthat the door is provided. on its exterior with the legend scissors for ready identification. The scissors compartment is provided with pairs of horizontal pegs, the lower peg of each pair being denoted by the numeral 62 and the elevated lpeg :by the numeral 64. By arranging these pegs in this order the fingertips 66 and 68 of lthe scissors 70 can be conveniently hung thereon and bodily inserted and removed when, of course, the door 32 is open.

The compartment behind the door 38 is utilized for readily accessible storage of buttons. Accordingly, the door has buttons printed thereon and the central area of the compartment concealed thereby is provided with a row of longitudinally spaced hookdike clips 72. These clips 72 are constructed and provided for varying sized cards of buttons one of which is denoted at 74. These clips are preferably constructed of a metal alloy, are shaped and curved to provide the angle indicated and are sufhciently wide to contain many cards, of ibuttons. They Vvare of appropriate length and sufficiently spaced to provide hanger means for many cards of ybuttons or a few cards as necessary or desired.

With r'eference again to FiG. 2 and the divider or partition 58 it will be seen that this divides the button compartment from the dual purpose spool compartment whose closing door is denoted in dotted lines in FIG. 2. This compartment is proportional with the door 46 and this door is provided with the legend thread The bottom wall portion 23 of the wall 22 is provided with vertical spaced dowels 76 to accommodate the large size spools of thread 78.- The horizontal divider 80 in this compartmentr constitutes a shelf and it too is provided with doWels or spindlesSZ to accommodate the insertatble and removable smaller spools of thread 84. With further reference to this particular compartment, it will be noted that the dividerkS is 'parallel to the dowel-equipped arm 23 spans the space between the wall 26 and the divid'er or partition 58 and is joined at one end thereto with the upper free end of said divider 58 terminating above the plane of the horizontal divider Si) as well as the upper ends of the dowels 82 which are mounted vertically on said divider 80.

The-fourth compartment, which is directly above the thread compartment is provided at the bottom thereof with a tray 86. The tray may include a suitable horizontal vbottom or shelf 88, a vertical transverse end member 9i, andra vertical lengthwise enclosing wall 92 (FIG. 3). This tray or receiver may be satisfactorily used for loose snaps, loose hooks and eyes, bob'bins, packaged needles, machine needles and the like (not shown). The tray 86 isdisposed in a plane above the divider 80 and upper end of the vertical divider 58 and in fact is of a length less than the divider 8f). There is a complemental shelf 94 with a vertical end member 95 in the upper part of the compartment under consideration and this is provided with short dowels or anchor posts 98 for thimbles 169. The shelf 9'4 and its vertical end member also provide a second `tray which is horizontally shorted than the underlying tray 86. Then, too, the tray 86 is at a level below the auxiliary divider 60 and the tray or shelf 94 is fixed Y to a level` above said tray 86 and the oriented and coordinating divider 60. The thimble doWels position the thirnbles in an open space which is easy to view and easy to reach thus maintaining the thimbles in a systematic Cab manner. Arranged between the tray 85 and the thim-ble shelf 94 are additional hanger clips 102 which are similar to the aforementioned clips 72 and which are positioned in a common plane or row. Here again the clips have outwardly and forwardly slanting free end portions to accom-modatingly .support cards of snaps or hooks and eyes one of which is denoted at 104.

As will be evident from the drawings and description the facilities provided on the interior of the cabinet function to transform a restricted or limited space into four selectively usable individual compartments `for the various articles and accessories shown and described. The aforementioned pegs 62 and 64 are advantageous in that they eliminate the lifting motion of the scissors or shears and make for ready removal and replacement thereof.

The hinges allow each of the doors to swing freely to the outside open position and permit viewing and access to the articles cooperable therewith. By painting or otherwise displaying the descriptive legends on the door surfaces it will be evident that the -user has at her disposal four distinguishable compartments, each compartment identified by and coo-perable with a companion or complemental door. Accordingly, when the user desires to employ a .single item, scissors for example, only the scissors door need be opened. It will be clear therefore that the cabinet having the expediently accessible facilities shown and described will adequately serve the unique purposes for which the cabinet has been devised. Then, too, and the fact that the cabinet is portable it will be evident that it can be detached from the wall and transported to ones sewing room or elsewhere yfor ready and convenient use.

With further reference to the structural features which are to be stressed it will be noted that the aforementioned auxiliary divider 60 acting in conjunction with the divider 58 serves not only as partioning means but affords support to the front panel l and insures a more rigid cooperation of parts. With reference again to the hook-like clips 72 and also the snap clips 102 it should be pointed out that these vfunction to contain cards of buttons (snaps) placed horizontally behind them, if desired, as well as allowing such cards to be hung and suspended from them. Concerning the lower left hand corner beneath the button hooks, the space formed by the front wall panel 16 and the rear wall panel 10 connected by the horizontal bottom wall 22, constitutes an enclosed shelf for the buttons and other loose articles of sewing.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all-suitable modifications and equivalents may be restored to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as Ifollows:

l. A portable as well as wall supported sewing cabinet comprising: .a flat-faced rectangular imperforate back wall panel, a fiat-faced correspondingly, rectangular onepiece front wall panel opposed and parallel to and aligned with said back wall panel, a one-piece assembling frame having relatively narrow component wall portions interposed between and rigidly joining `marginal porti-ons of said front and back wall panels, said frame functioning to space said front and back `wall panels apart and defining a shallow cabinet, a first vertical partition positioned in the hollow portion of said cabinet midway between the vertical end walls and joined to and rising vertically from the bottom wall and fixed thereto and confined to a lower half-portion of said cabinet and providing left hand and right hand compartments in said lower half portion, the upper end of said partition terminating in a plane just below the upper limits of said lower left hand and right hand compartments, said lower le'fthand compartment having facilities confined therein for buttons, said front wall panel having a iirst door opening formed therein and a door hingedly mounted in and closing said iirst opening as well as said `1ower left hand compartment, vsaid lower right hand compartment having a horizontal shelf therein having an inward end abut-ting and iixed to .a median portion of said partition and accordingly residing in a piane below the upper end of said partition, a plurality of dowel pins fixed vertically atop said horizontal sheif and having their upper ends terminating in a plane below the plane of the upper free end of said vertical partition, said front wall also having a second door opening formed therein aligned with said lower right hand compartment Vand provided `with a normally closed hingedly mounted door permitting access to be had to said lower right hand compartment, a second vertical partition of a cross-sectional dimension less than the cross-section of said first partition and iixed in the upper central half-portion of said cabinet and aligned with said first partition but spaced vertically therefrom and contributing in transforming the upper half-portion of said space into an upper left hand compartment and an upper right hand compartment, said upper left hand compartment, having pegs fixed therein for dctachably supporting insertable and removable selectively usable scissors, the upper left hand corner portion of said front wall having a door opening formed therein corresponding to and aligned with said upper left hand compartment and said door opening being provided with a normally closed hingedly mounted door permitting access to be had to said scissors compartment, said upper right hand compartment being provided with vertically spaced upper and lower trays and the upper one of said trays being provided with dowel pins for thimbles, said upper tray being of a length less than said lower tray, said second vertical partition being spaced below the median portion of said top Wall and situated in a plane midway between said upper and lower shelves, the upper right hand corner portion of said front wall having a door opening lformed therein which in turn is provided with a normally closed hingedly mounted door permitting access to be had to said upper right hand compartment, the exterior surfaces of the respective doors are eXteriorly provided with legends descriptive of and in keeping with the articles which are confined for selective use in the respectively usable compartments, and a median portion of said front wall being provided with an ancillary opening, and a pin and needle cushion supported on the interior of the front wall and protruding for ready usage through and beyond said ancillary opening, said first vertical partition having its upper end terminating in a plane below said opening and said second vertical partition having a lower edge terminating in a plane above said opening whereby said partitions are situated not only in said upper and lower half portions respectively but are located at diametrically opposite upper and lower points of said opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 171,495 12/1875 Amberg 312-234.5 304,914 9/1884 Dickson 223-107 437,854 10/1890 Garrow 223-107 X 489,593 1/1893 Ramer 223-107 718,804 1/1903 Watson 223-107 858,831 7/1907 Sherman 223-107 X 894,960 8/1908 Kovasic 223-107 1,035,066 8/1912 Bown 312-324 X 1,396,156 11/1921 Biggs 312-15 1,712,024 5/1929 Brogden 312-351 X 2,457,767 12/1948 Zarnpino 223-107 2,655,424 10/1953 OConnor 312-351 2,679,341 5/195'4 Tinker 223-107 2,727,663 12/ 1955 Gribben 223-107 3,062,605 11/1962 Cannon i12-217.1 X

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Prmary`Examz`ner.

G. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE AS WELL AS WALL SUPPORTED SEWING CABINET COMPRISING: A FLAT-FACED RECTANGULAR IMPERFORATE BACK WALL PANEL, A FLAT-FACED CORRESPONDINGLY, RECTANGULAR ONEPIECE FRONT WALL PANEL OPPOSED AND PARALLEL TO AND ALIGNED WITH SAID BACK WALL PANEL, A ONE-PIECE ASSEMBLING FRAME HAVING RELATIVELY NARROW COMPONENT WALL PORTIONS INTERPOSED BETWEEN AND RIGIDLY JOINING MARGINAL PORTIONS OF SAID FRONT AND BACK WALL PANELS, SAID FRAME FUNCTIONING TO SPACE SAID FRONT AND BACK WALL PANELS APART AND DEFINING A SHALLOW CABINET, A FIRST VERTICAL PARTITION POSITIONED IN THE HOLLOW PORTION OF SAID CABINET MIDWAY BETWEEN THE VERTICAL END WALLS AND JOINED TO AND RISING VERTICALLY FROM THE BOTTOM WALL AND FIXED THERETO AND CONFINED TO A LOWER HALF-PORTION OF SAID CABINET AND PROVIDING LEFT HAND AND RIGHT HAND COMPARTMENTS IN SAID LOWER HALF PORTION, THE UPPER END OF SAID PARTITION TERMINATING IN A PLANE JUST BELOW THE UPPER LIMITS OF SAID LOWER LEFT HAND AND RIGHT HAND COMPARTMENTS, SAID LOWER LEFT HAND COMPARTMENT HAVING FACILITIES CONFINED THEREIN FOR BUTTONS, SAID FRONT WALL PANEL HAVING A FIRST DOOR OPENING FORMED THEREIN AND A DOOR HINGEDLY MOUNTED IN AND CLOSING SAID FIRST OPENING AS WELL AS SAID LOWER LEFT HAND COMPARTMENT, SAID LOWER RIGHT HAND COMPARTMENT HAVING A HORIZONTAL SHELF THEREIN HAVING AN INWARD END ABUTTING AND FIXED TO A MEDIAN PORTION OF SAID PARTITION AND ACCORDINGLY RESIDING IN A PLANE BELOW THE UPPER END OF SAID PARTITION, A PLURALITY OF DOWEL PINS FIXED VERTICALLY ATOP SAID HORIZONTAL SHELF AND HAVING THEIR UPPER ENDS TERMINATING IN A PLANE BELOW THE PLANE OF THE UPPER FREE END OF SAID VERTICAL PARTITION, SAID FRONT WALL ALSO HAVING A SECOND DOOR OPENING FORMED THEREIN ALIGNED WITH SAID LOWER RIGHT HAND COMPARTMENT AND PROVIDED WITH A NORMALLY CLOSED HINGEDLY MOUNTED DOOR PERMITTING ACCESS TO BE HAD TO SAID LOWER RIGHT HAND COMPARTMENT, A SECOND VERTICAL PARTITION OF A CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION LESS THAN THE CROSS-SECTION OF SAID FIRST PARTITION AND FIXED IN THE UPPER CENTRAL HALF-PORTION OF SAID CABINET AND ALIGNED WITH SAID FIRST PARTITION BUT SPACED VERTICALLY THEREFROM AND CONTRIBUTING IN TRANSFORMING THE UPPER HALF-PORTION OF SAID SPACE INTO AN UPPER LEFT HAND COMPARTMENT AND AN UPPER RIGHT HAND COMPARTMENT, SAID UPPER LEFT HAND COMPARTMENT, HAVING PEGS FIXED THEREIN FOR DETACHABLY SUPPORTING INSERTABLE AND REMOVABLE SELECTIVELY USABLE SCISSORS, THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER THEREIN OF SAID FRONT WALL HAVING A DOOR OPENING FORMED THEREIN CORRESPONDING TO AND ALIGNED WITH SAID UPPER LEFT HAND COMPARTMENT AND SAID DOOR OPENING BEING PROVIDED WITH A NORMALLY CLOSED HINGEDLY MOUNTED DOOR PERMITTING AC- 